Raj Kachori with Chhole / Puffed fried bread with spicy and tangy chickpea filling

Raj Kachori is a popular street-food in India. Back in my hometown in India there is a small hole-in-the-wall store that makes them the best I've ever had and these kachoris are definitely in the list of a few things that I do make sure to get my fix of whenever I am visiting. They are basically a crispy and flaky puffed fried round flat bread filled with a spicy and tangy chickpea filling and topped with different chutneys. They makes for an awesome and filling street food. I came across this recipe while I was going through one of my cookbooks from Sanjeev Kapoor. It immediately triggered all the memories and I knew I had to make it. The kachoris are a little tricky to make but you should be able to get it right in a couple of attempts.

Ingredients: 

For the kachori-

Semolina or sooji ................................ 1/4 cup

All purpose flour ................................. 2 -3 tbsp

Red chilli powder ............................... 1/4 tsp

Oil ................................................. 1 1/2 tbsp
Gramflour or besan .............................. 2 tbsp

Baking soda ....................................... a pinch

Red chilli and fennel powder ................... 1/4 tsp each

Salt ................................................. to taste

Oil for deep frying

For the filling-

Garbanzo or chickpeas ............................ 1 cup soaked overnight

Oil .................................................... 2 tbsp

Onion ................................................. 2 medium finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste ................................. 2 tsp

Chhole masala ....................................... 3-4 tbsp

Tomato puree ....................................... 3/4 cup

Cilantro leaves ...................................... 2 tbsp

For the topping:

Yogurt ........................................... 1 cup well beaten

Tamarind chutney, mint chutney ............ as needed

Bhujiya or sev .................................. 1/4 cup

Roasted cumin powder,
Red chilli powder and black salt .............. as needed

Chopped cilantro ............................... 2 tbsp

Method:

For the chhole-

1. Boil the chickpeas with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker till  for 5-6 whistles or till they are tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add the onions and saute till they get light brown in color, add in the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add 3 tbsps of chhole masala and tomato puree and cook for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the boiled chickpeas with 1/4 cup water and cook till oil starts seperating from the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining chhole masala and cilantro. Set aside.

For the Kachori-

1. Make a stiff dough of sooji, all purpose flour, chilli powder and sufficient water, set aside. In another small bowl, mix together gram flour, soda, chilli powder, fennel powder, and oil, add some water and knead into a dough.

2. Divide both the semolina and the gramflour dough into four equal parts each. Spread each portion of the semolina dough on your palm and place one portion of the gram flour dough in the centre, seal the edges to make a ball, roll into kachodis.

3. Heat oil on medium heat and deep fry the kachodis, turning once, till puffed and crisp. Drain on absobent paper and leave it to cool slightly.

4. To serve, place each kachori on a serving plate. Make a large hole in the centre and fill with a generous portion of chole. Top with some yogurt and chutneys, add sev. Sprinkle cumin, black salt, chilli powder and cilantro. Serve immediately. ENJOY the compliments!

Notes:

1. You can also add some diced and boiled potatoes in the topping.

---

Linking this to-
Bookmark Event - Every Tuesday

Pin It